


the best times

by LiveLaughLovex



Series: dare to dance [4]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Post-Episode: s10e03 E Uhi Ana Ka Wa I Hala I Na Mea I Hala, Spoilers for Episode: s10e03 E Uhi Ana Ka Wa I Hala I Na Mea I Hala
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-12-09 15:30:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20997110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiveLaughLovex/pseuds/LiveLaughLovex
Summary: One afternoon, Victor Cullen's house explodes. A lot of things happen, both beforehand and in the aftermath.





	the best times

**Author's Note:**

> The best times are always found when friends and family gather round. - Unknown

It was approximately five o’clock in the afternoon when Kono received the call from Lou. He began by insisting at least a dozen times over that Steve was fine, that he’d not been seriously injured when the explosion occurred. That wasn’t really enough to comfort Kono, honestly, considering she’d once seen the man insist he was all right while covered in what had to be at least a pint of his own blood. Still, she remained as calm as she possibly could as she ended the call and pushed away from her desk, absently informing her second-in-command that she’d be out of the office for the rest of the day and to call her cell if any new information was discovered before morning.

It took less than half an hour to reach King’s Medical Center, even during rush hour. She drew in a deep breath as she made her way through the hospital’s front entrance, exhaling only when she’d made it to the emergency department and caught sight of a mostly unscathed Steve sitting on a gurney, looking altogether annoyed at the prospect of staying put for even a moment longer.

“Hi,” she greeted, claiming the chair next to his bed. “I just have one question. What the _hell_ were you thinking?”

“I was thinking one of my teammates was being arrested for helping me, and I wasn’t going to let that stand,” Steve answered promptly. “How’d you find out so quickly?”

“Lou called me,” Kono replied just as quickly. “Precinct’s closer than the Palace, so I told him I’d come down here, make sure you actually got checked out instead of forging the doctor’s signature like you’ve done many times over.”

“I’ve never done that,” Steve denied. “And there’s nothing to worry about. I’ve been given a clean bill of health.”

“I’ll take you at your word, just this once,” Kono conceded begrudgingly. “But if you start smelling weird things or hallucinating, we’re coming right back here. I won’t be listening to even one of your protests. You understand?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied seriously, offering a mock salute that she simply rolled her eyes at. “Since you came all this way, can you give me a ride?” he questioned hopefully. “The truck’s in the shop. It’s, uh, it has a little bit of damage.”

“Mm. That’s three vehicles you’ve gone through in ten years,” she informed him. “Even I haven’t gone through that many.”

“It’s not my fault I keep running into insane people,” Steve defended himself.

“No,” Kono sighed, amused. “I guess it’s not. But please stop antagonizing them. It’s not good for my blood pressure when you lot keep trying to get yourselves killed.”

“We’ll do our best,” Steve promised, wincing as he reached for his shirt. “Have you heard anything from the rest of the team? How’s Tani?”

“She’s okay, now that’s she’s dried off. Few bruises. Underwater fights are a lot more violent than you’d imagine, apparently. NTSB recovered the black box.” She smirked. “Jerry’s going to be pissed he decided to leave. Someone wiped it clean. There’s no record of anything that happened that day.”

“How is it you know more about my unit’s cases than I do?” Steve questioned rhetorically.

“Because I didn’t get blown up an hour ago?” Kono returned, picking up his gun and badge from the tray next to his bed and handing them over. “I can fill you in on my day on the way back to your place, if you want,” she offered.

“You get shot at?” Steve asked, mildly concerned as he looked her over as if to make sure there wasn’t a wound that’d gone unnoticed.

“I didn’t,” she reassured him. “Only one of us threatened a sociopath today, don’t worry.”

“Did the Bomb Squad find anything out about Cullen yet?”

“Yeah, they…” Kono began, pausing when the doctor came into the room to sign off on the necessary paperwork and tell Steve to come in with any aches or pains he believed might be related to the day’s events. “…found him,” she finished after the other woman left. “Paramedics called TOD before they’d even made it to the hospital. They’re still trying to figure out how it was triggered. They believe it was remote. The sergeant’s got my number and Lou’s, so he’ll fill us in as soon as they know anything else.”

“Good.” Steve ran a hand over his eyes, exhaling tiredly. “We should probably go make sure my house is still standing.”

“Yeah,” Kono agreed, biting back a smile, “that’s probably not the worst idea you’ve had today.”

-o-

Everybody gathered at the McGarrett house after Steve’s return from the hospital and Quinn’s release from prison, which seemed to be a ritual in the aftermath of near-death experiences.

“Congratulations, by the way,” Kono commented, pressing a cold bottle of beer into Quinn’s hands and reclaiming the seat next to her. “I heard you got a badge.”

“I did,” Quinn confirmed, her smile slightly shy. “Makes me think everyone’s got a good read on him. He is absolutely crazy.”

“Maybe,” Kono allowed. “Or maybe he’s got a crazy eye for talent.”

“I guess that’s an option, too,” Quinn conceded.

“The first day I met him, he watched me punch somebody for stealing my wave,” Kono confided. “He offered me a job, gave me a home and a family to go with it. He’ll do the same for you, if you’ll let him.”

“Yeah,” Quinn replied, glancing over at Steve. “He’s a really good guy.”

“He is,” Kono agreed, smiling softly. “He’s really great. But don’t tell him that too much, or his ego will get inflated again,” she warned teasingly.

“You two do realize you’re four feet away, right?” Steve commented without glancing up from the grill. “I can hear everything you’re saying.”

“Hey, maybe that’s the point,” Kono returned, taking another sip of her beer. “How’re those burgers coming there, Commander?”

“Fine,” he assured her. “You want to grab some plates?”

“Absolutely,” Kono agreed, pushing up from her chair and heading into the kitchen. She returned several minutes later with a stack of plates. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask – you heard from Tani and Junior?”

“They’re on their way,” he replied, grabbing one of the plates and carefully placing the burgers onto it. “You going to be able to stick around?”

“Absolutely. Girl got into an underwater fight,” she emphasized. “You have any idea how badass that is?”

“I do,” he assured her with an amused smile.

“Don’t worry, my friend, walking away from an explosion’s pretty badass too,” she assured him with a wry smirk.

“I wasn’t worried at all,” he replied. “But thank you for reassuring me.”

“Anytime,” she returned. “Have I mentioned I’m really glad you’re not dead?” she added much more seriously.

“You have,” he assured her.

“Well, I’ll say it again, then. I’m glad you’re not dead, McGarrett.”

Steve shook his head with a fond smile. “Thanks, Kalakaua. Glad I’m not dead, too.”

“Good. Now, can you try to keep it that way for, like, at least a week?” she requested, only half-kidding.

Steve’s laughter was lighter than she’d heard it in a very long time. “I’ll do my best.”


End file.
